UNESCO statistics institute reports that one in three older adolescents in ASEAN is out of school

10 November 2026

The UNESCO Institute for Statistics released The State of Education in ASEAN, prepared with the member states of the grouping.
It finds that access to schooling has improved sharply since 2000, but that being in school does not by itself produce skills or completion.
The out-of-school rate at primary level fell from about 14 per cent in 2000 to 5 per cent in 2023, and at lower secondary level from about 24 per cent to 11 per cent.
Even so, in 2023 nearly one in three adolescents of upper secondary age was out of school.
The median upper secondary completion rate in 2024 was about 55 per cent, against more than 95 per cent at primary level.
Tertiary gross enrolment rose from about 18 per cent in 2000 to more than 42 per cent in 2024, while fewer than 2 per cent of adults aged 25 to 54 take part in any formal or non-formal learning.
The report asks governments to strengthen foundational learning, prevent dropout at secondary level and make education financing more equitable.